The Coastal Resource Centre - Chennai Ennore Creek - Ecology and Violations The Ennore creek is located in the Thiruvallur District of Tamil Nadu, approximately 20 KM North of Chennai City. This creek is part of a lagoon ecosystem that plays a vital role in balancing the coastal ecosystem in the area. Ennore Creek drains two important rivers, Kosasthalaiyar in the South and Aranaiyar in the North into the Bay of Bengal through the Ennore Estuary. The creek forms an estuary that is about 400 m wide. Pulicat Lake, the second largest brackish water lake in the country and is a protected area also drains into the Ennore Creek. The Buckingham canal also runs alongside the creek, intersecting the creek at different points. Dotted with salt pans, mangroves, fish farms and mud flats, Ennore Creek provides a variety of habitats that support a large number of animal and plant life. The Ennore Creek is the primary source of livelihood for six fishing villages. Mugathwara Kuppam, Kaatu Kuppam and Sivanpadaiveethi Kuppam rely wholly and perenially on the river and creek. Once a biological hotspot, biodiversity in the Ennore Creek has been steadily declining. In the 1960s, the Manali Industrial Area and Ennore Thermal Power Station were set up encroaching on wetlands connected to the creek. The industrialisation and consequent degradation intensified starting in the 1980s with the setting up of NCTPS (1980s), KPL (2000) and the Vallur Thermal Power Plant about five years ago. Nature of Violations and its Impact on Ennore Creek S. Nature of Responsible Description Nature of No Violation Party Impact 1 Illegal Dumping of Kamaraj Port • Dumping carried out on Ennore Creek and Hydrological Dredged Material Limited Buckingham Canal Impact • Dumping carries out on Salt Pans, marked as CRZ I (Ecologically Sensitive) • Illegal Under CRZ Notification 2001 and Water Act, 1974 2 Leakage of Ash NCTPS • Leaking pipelines deposit large quantities of Hydrological Slurry into the Ash Slurry on the water body Impact, Ennore Creek • Hardens and destroys natural flow of the Ecological waterbody Impact, • Releases a range of harmful toxins into the Livelihood aquatic ecosystem Impact • Can affect fish resources and in turn, livelihood of fishermen • Coal ash contains heavy metals such as arsenic, boron, cadmium, chromium, mercury and selenium. Heavy metals such as selenium bioaccumulate in fish and harm their ability to reproduce 3 Ash Pond as a NTECL • Part of the creek opposite Sivanpadaiveedhi Hydrological physical barrier Kuppam and Kaatu Kuppam have been Impact, encroached upon for the ash pond of Ecological NTECL’s TPP Impact • Presence of the Ash Pond hinders the flow of east flowing canals and tributaries of the Kosasthalaiyar River • Contributes significantly to the siltation in the river 4 Encroachment on Kamaraj Port • Fish Farms have been encroached upon for Hydrological Fish Farms Limited / construction of coal yards Impact, CICTL • Apart from affecting the water flow, it also Ecological discharges toxic coal leachate into the creek Impact, • Affects aquatic life and livelihoods Livelihood Impact 5 Increased Siltation Kamaraj Port • 10 bridges, including coal conveyer belts, Hydrological and alteration of Limited, coolant water intake and outlet pipes, ash Impact, river flow due to NCTPS,NTE pipelines, LNG pipelines, roads and railway Livelihood bridges CL, HPCL, lines cut across the Ennore Creek Impact GoTN • Lesser space to navigate. • Bridges are built on pilings, after construction these pilings are not removed and depth is not restored. • Leads to changed water flow, higher turbulence and currents • This leads to increased boat accidents, higher risk for life and damage to fishing gear. • Reduces water caring capacity of the river S. Nature of Responsible Description Nature of No Violation Party Impact 6 Leakage of Ash NCTPS, • NCTPS and NTECL Illegally discharge filtrate Hydrological Pond Filtrate NTECL water into the Ennore Creek Impact, Water • Consent to Operate given to both TPP’s by Ecological TNPCB specifically orders that no water from Impact, the ash pond can be discharged into the river Livelihood • Entire stretch of the creek has been silted up Impact with ash sediments. • These sediments are above the level of water during low tide 7 Discharge of NCTPS, • NCTPS and NTECL use coolant water Ecological Coolant Water into NTECL systems that discharge the water used as Impact. the Ennore Creek coolant back into the water body after use Livelihood • Causes large scale thermal pollution, as the Impact. water discharged back is always above the ambient temperature of the water body • Reduces the dissolved oxygen, intern affecting fish life. • Chemicals like Zinc, Chromium and Cadmium are added to the water during the cooing process, that contribute to pollution of the receiving body. 8 Discharge of CPCL & • Industrial area of Manali is located close to Ecological Petrochemical Manali the Ennore Creek Impact, Effluents into the Industrial • They discharge trade effluents into the Livelihood Ennore Creek Estate Ennore Creek. Oil tanker washing and other Impact, oil based effluents are common. Health • Quality of seafood caught has deteriorated Impact on drastically Residents • Reduces commercial viability of fish caught from the Creek • Can exhibit itself in a variety of health implications 9 Discharge of Village • Domestic sewage and garbage is regularly Ecological Domestic Sewage Municipality discharged into the creek Impact, into the Ennore • This comes from several village Health Creek municipalities including Kathivakkam and impact on Thiruvotriyur Residents .